Lost Brother
by Melissa Waters
Summary: What if Jaron ran away after getting to know Eckbert was sending him away? Can Darius get to him, before something happens?
1. Running away

***** Before I start, I want to say, that I am not a good writer. I'll have spelling mistakes, but please don't give me any hate comments about them, if you review. Other reviews are welcome. I can take negative comeback too, nut only if it's for example:**

" **Think it's very good, but you could tell more of what the characters look like or what they see." This is what I would appreciate. You telling me what to make better, if there are flaws.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **[ Song: My Immortal, By Evanescence, Nightcore, Male version ]**

 _ **What if Jaron ran away after he got to know Eckbert was sending him away to Bymar? Will Darius catch him, before the Avenian pirates do?**_

Jaron wasn't taking the news very well. Looking at his parents and little brother from the side of the room, Darius couldn't hlp but think what theyoung boy was feeling now.

Being sent away by his parents was hard enough. But sent into another land, across the sea? Oh...

" You can't send me away! I won't go! " Jaron had his hands formed into fists, his knuckles white, and Darius wondered how his nails hadn't drawn blood yet.

" My desision is made! You are leaving tomorrow. You will learn to be a proper prince, and not a..."

" An embarressment. " Jaron finished the sentence. Although that wasn't what the King was going to say, he had been thinking it. " Well, you know what? My desision is made too. I will NOT be going!"

And with that he stormed out of the room, and disappeared behind a corner heading to the staricase.

Eckbert buried his face in his hands.

" Why does he have to be so difficult?" Erin, Darius' mother was sitting on her throne next to Eckbert.

" He'll learn. Just... give him some time. " She said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Darius, who wasn't very opposed to the idea of his brother being sent away, left the room, rubbing his temples.

He didn't want to be seperated from Jaron, but he couldn't fight against his father either. It just wasn't him. Besides, it was Jaron's job.

It was late evening, with the sun setting behind the forest miles away.

Darius passed many windows on his way to Jaron's room, but didn't stop to admire the view; he could look at it later.

Stopping in front of the dark brown door, Darius took a deep breath. It was either a good idea to go talk with Jaron and try to calm him down, or a terrible one, as one time the boy had nearly made Darius tumble down the starsr because of his sudden burst of anger.

The older prince took a deep breath, and knocked, but the sound was met by silence. Knocking a second time, Darius recieved the same answer.

" Jaron? It's me. Please let me in." Though the door wasn't locked, he didn't want togo rushing in without at least trying to ask permission.

" Jaron? C'mon. I'm coming in if you don't answer me. " Again no answer. " Okay. I'm coming in. "

Opening the door, Darius expected to see an extreamly angry prince sitting on his bed, giving him a murderous glare. But the room was empty.

He quickly looked around the room, only to find the window open, on the left side of the room.

Running to it, he stuck his head out, searching the wall below him.

Darius had just enough time to see Jaron climb on a brown stallion, he had led out of the stables. He nearly fell over turning around and rushing out of the room.

He reached te courtyard in just half a minute, letting out a loud whistle.

Immediately heavy hoofbeats were heard behind him, and a black mare with a white spot on her forehead and legs, appeared beside him.

Cora was a storng, fast and loyal horse. She slowed her pace enough for Darius to grab her bridle, and he flung himself onto her saddle.

He had been riding in the nearby woods just half-an-hour ago, and been almost late from the meeting where his parents told Jaron about their... plan, so he hadn't had time to take any of the riding gear off her. And now he was pretty glad he hadn't.

Running outside the castle walls, and into the city, he knew Jaron was heading out of Drylliad.

Passing frightened people, and nerly crashing into a wall once or twice, Darius finally made it out to the road leading out of the city.

It was straight for about half a mile, so he could see Jaron three hundred meter ahead. Digging his heals into Cora's sides, he encouraged her to ride faster, which she did.

Soon they were only twenty meters apart, and Darius knew that he would catch Jaron.

But when they turned around the next bend, everything went wrong.

Three men were standing in the middle of the road, fifteen meters from Jaron.

Two of the men were wearing swords, while the third held a loaded crossbow. The one with the crossbow had reddish hair, with a moustache and a beard. The other two had black hair, to match their dark outfits. One had piercing blue eyes while the other had a green and brown one.

The sky was already dark, and some stars were out. In the light of them, Darius saw the reason of his feature nightmares.

Jaron pulled on his horse's rains, and it reared up, on it's hind legs. At the same time the man with the crossbow released.

The arrow buried itself deep in Jaron's chest with a solid CHWACK! Darius stared in horror, as the smaller boy fell off his horse, onto the ground.

" NO!"

Riding forward on Cora, he pulled his sword out of its sheath, and cut down the man with blue eyes in less than a second.

The other man was down before the man with the crossbow could load another arrow. Not that it would've done any good, as he had a sword sticking out of his chest soon after.

Before the pirate even hit the ground, Darius had already slid off Cora, and ran over to Jaron.

Falling to his knees next to him, Darius craddled his little brother in his arms.

A small stream of blood ran down the side of his mouth, staining his shirt red where it ended.

The arrow shaft was deep in him, the head sticking slightly out of his back. His eyes were closed, but Darius had a feeling that even if they were open, they wouldn't show any sign of life.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he pressed his forhead against Jaron's.

Everything had happened so fast! One moment Jaron was alive, and the next, he had an arrow in his chest.

" Please, don't go, Jaron... Don't leave me... Please..." But the boy's motionless face didn't change. It never would. Finally, hours after sundown, a search party made their way from behind the corner.

But they were too late. His brother was gone. Forever.


	2. I forgive you

***** This chapter is short, for it was only something I wanted to write for those who didn't want the first chapter to be the ending. I hope this is good enough, despite the short length.*****

It had been hours after the funeral, yet Darius hadn't been able to take his eyes of the final resting place of his brother. Tears streamed down his face in a constant river, his eyes blurry with the salty raindrops.

When the searching party had found them, they had been shocked to see the two princes on the ground, one weeping softly, the other, lifless in his brother's arms.

Once they returned home, with both boys, the King and Queen had been the first ones to meet them. Their mother had also been the first one to burst into tears at the sight of her son. Eckbert had followed only seconds later.

It had been three weeks since the death of his brother, but the memory was fresh in Darius' mind. Not one minute of the last three weeks had been sent without sheading a tear. So why should this moment be any different?

Darius kneeled next to the grave stone, staring at his brother's name carved into it.

 _ **Prince Jaron Artolius Eckbert ll**_

 _ **1451 – 1462**_

" I'm sorry, Jaron. I couldn't protect you, and I... " Darius bit his lip, fighting back a sob. " I wish it would have been me. You didn't deserve to die so young, and... you had your whole life ahead of you. I'm sorry."

What happened next was something Darius would remember the rest of his life. It could have been nothing, but the prince could have sworn, that in the wind he heard a silent whisper: " I forgive you."


End file.
